Geriatrics and Acute Care nursing

Published

Hello! I am currently a nursing major and was not sure if this topic goes here or not. However, I'm curious to know if once you get your ASN/BSN if you're only able to take care of geriatric patients? Geriatrics is not really my cup of tea, so if possible, I'd like to work in a unit with very minimal to no geriatric patients. Does anyone know how I can go about doing that?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yes of course you can work with patients that are not only geriatric. It mainly depends where you work in the hospital... Most of the units you will AT LEAST get a couple geriatric patients, the geriatric population is only growing. Obviously if you work on a unit like pediatrics you wont have geriatric patients. Med-surg you will get a lot, I work on an acute surgical floor we get a lot of geriatrics but we also get as young as 20 years old sometimes and we get a lot of middle aged people as well. I think it would be difficult to avoid the geriatric patients unless you go to peds. Hope that helps!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice.

Not being critical, just wondering what bothers you regarding older people?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.

I think you may be pushing brown stuff up hill with a teaspoon

I do per diem work in acute hospitals and even acute surgery has more than its fair share of patients over the age of 65. It would be perhaps more helpful to focus on why you have such a preconceived bias to patients in the geriatric age group and work on that.

Because unless you are working with paediatrics you will encounter elderly patients

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You can work at a pediatric hospital, mother/baby, L and D, or NICU

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You can work pretty much anywhere you like, except management (in most places). I only have an ADN, and I have worked peds, pediatric ICU, pedi sub-acute, adult sub-acute, acute rehab, hospice, pediatric emergent care, prison nursing, and geriatric psych. I got my certification in generalist pediatric nursing back in 1996. No one has ever told me I should get a higher degree. Of course, I want the BSN, and I'm almost done with my prereqs for the BSN at my chosen university. But the truth is, nurses are needed so badly that the degree doesn't matter (currently). Of course, that can change. A Bachelor's Degree in any field is always an asset, so if you have the money and the opportunity, by all means take it! Best of luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion